Personal experience I just got done dealing with today. We had a bug problem develop in the kitchen over the last week. It was so fast it was largely unnoticed till suddenly there were a dozen and then I tore the kitchen apart and found a BUNCH of the critters. Mostly in the flour and corn meal. And the rice. And sugar. Like me, they seem to favor carbs.

We tossed a bunch of food.

I used Seventh Generation general cleaner to spray them down and it was nice. Kinda like a flame thrower. I did not have the reactions I typically have with other common cleaners, but the bugs sure had a tough time. I think it is still effective but maybe not quite as harsh on humans. I"m typically a little cautious about using alternative or "earth friendly" cleaners and chemicals, but that is what my wife prefers, so I went with what we have.

So just remember to check the preps and look for critters! Especially anything that is not super sealed. I need to get into mylar bagging things.

*Remember: I'm just a guy on the internet
*Don't go to stupid places with stupid people & do stupid things.
*Be courteous. Look normal. Be in bed by 10'clock.

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” -Bilbo Baggins.

Bugs are already in many, if not most refined processed grains when you buy them at the store in the form of eggs. They just need enough time and the proper conditions to hatch. Proper storage means denying those conditions.

From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be rememberèd—
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother

My apartment complex had problems with roaches and bed bugs. Cleanliness and airtight storage will do for the former as a preventative measure, but bed bugs are satanic little bastards. All it takes is one pregnant female or a male and female, and you'll have an infestation.

Rubbing alcohol (90%) does wonders for a lot of bugs. Well, not for them, but for you if you have them. Diatomaceous earth also helps. Just sprinkle it liberally at the edges of garages, sheds, basements, etc., and bugs will have a bad time getting through it. From there it's often a matter of regular pest control maintenance and not introducing suspect items (like roadside furniture) into your home.

I'm not saying that's what caused your problem, OP. I don't pretend to know. I'm just speaking generally on the subject of what I've learned about bugs.

Do you do the 3 day freeze?
3 days in the freezer will kill most of the critters/eggs; very common to do for long-storage items, although most people omit that for items stored in the kitchen for daily use.
If there is room in the freezer I try to do it when they come home, at least in the summer months.

In my day, we didn't have virtual reality.
If a one-eyed razorback barbarian warrior was chasing you with an ax, you just had to hope you could outrun him.
-
Preps buy us time. Time to learn how and time to remember how. Time to figure out what is a want, what is a need.

ZombieGranny wrote:Do you do the 3 day freeze?
3 days in the freezer will kill most of the critters/eggs; very common to do for long-storage items, although most people omit that for items stored in the kitchen for daily use.
If there is room in the freezer I try to do it when they come home, at least in the summer months.

I"ve started doing that for the long term stuff. But for stuff in the kitchen.... we will start. We have been busy and it has been a while since we'd emptied a bag of sugar or flour.

*Remember: I'm just a guy on the internet
*Don't go to stupid places with stupid people & do stupid things.
*Be courteous. Look normal. Be in bed by 10'clock.

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” -Bilbo Baggins.

I haven't had any issues with my long term storage items. However, my grandma brought over some stuff for my mom a few years ago. Ever since then she's had some small moth like creatures that get into EVERYTHING, silver something or other. But those little bastards have destroyed a lot of moms flour, sugar, etc that she keeps out for everyday use.

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Spazzy wrote:Tell ya what... If Zombies attack and the world ends I'll hook tandem toddlers to a plow if it means I'll be able to eat...